The Ties That Bind
by Amethyst Lynn Willow
Summary: This is a Shrew  Drew/Sherry  story set after death.  It picks up during the episode #22 "Sunrise".  I hope you'll give my story a chence and that you find it creative and engaging.


**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Vampire High or anything related to the show. I am not nor will I ever make any profit off of these writings. This is purely for my own personal amusement. Yes the story is going to include a slew of original characters.**

**Authors Note:** _'Thoughts will appear like this or any other form of psychic communication'._ _Dream sequences, astral planning will also appear like this._

**The Ties That Bind**

**Chapter 1: Separate Halves**

* * *

**Paradise:**

'_No Drew…NO PLEASE NO…. DON'T DO IT,'_ the chestnut haired girl mentally cried out, '_IT'S NOT Worth…it.'_ The last thought, a strangled cry, watching as her almost lover prepared to throw himself to the sun.

She throws her arms out as if to grasp his form and pull him back towards the shadows, towards safety. It's useless though as her hands break the surface of the mirror pool distorting, destroying the image of her beloved.

'_NNNOOOO,'_ another anguished cry ripped through her mind.

Practically leaping from the lush ground, she took off at a dead run. The landscape moving by her was a blur as she moved with a desperate single mindedness. The Abyss, she had to reach the Abyss; it was the edge of this world, this cursed Paradise. If Drew was so intent on ending his existence then she would surrender herself to the darkness, the nothingness of the Abyss, and meet him again in the Pit. Nothing else mattered, nothing but him.

The sky above her was a bright and merry blue but as Sherry ran, it slowly gave way to darker shades, letting her know she was getting closer to her destination. The grass beneath her feet was thinning out and the green dulling slowly, turning a sickly shriveled brown. The rest of the landscape had become lifeless as well, inky blackness filling the sky.

Sherry's panicked pace came to an abrupt halt at the edge of what appeared to be a large crater. She stared out at it as her face contorted into a pantomime of the soul crumbling sorrow she felt. How cruel it was that she couldn't cry, couldn't whimper and sob out her pain. Something about the plane she existed on now made the human comfort of flowing tears impossible.

'_For Drew….'_

Standing there in her white robes surrounded by all this darkness she gave off a faint glow. She slowly lifted one foot off the ground preparing to tip herself bodily over the edge. She closed her eyes tightly against the world around her as she let herself fall forward. Sherry could feel the stale air rushing past her face and rustling her through her clothing.

She was barely airborne before she felt something wrap tightly around her midsection. She didn't struggle against it as she entertained the thought that the fall was already over. That Drew had already found her in the Pit and was now holding her close. Just as she was about to open her eyes to confirm this, she felt something hot wash over her as her closed eyelids lit up her vision. As the light faded, her soul was briefly subdued into a deep sleep like state.

* * *

**Land of the Living:**

"You leave her out of this!"

Drew's head snapped up to glare at Dillan, suppressing the urge to growl at her for daring to bring up his "One" at such a time. _'She has no right'_ he thought to himself still crouched on the floor.

"No! Let's put her smack dab in the middle of it!" Dillan retorted, crossing her arms over her chest," Because that's where she belongs, dead center in your heart. Kill yourself and you just kill any memory you have of her, and then she's really dead!" She hitched her hip to the side as she looked down on him no hint of apology in her demeanor.

'_No Drew…NO, PLEASE NO…. DON'T DO IT!'_ The thought reverberated in Drew's mind, it took him only a second to realize the thought was not his own. It was the voice that shook him, causing him to break down sobbing. Refusing to look up at the mortal towering over him, he knew that voice could only belong to one person, Sherry, his Sherry.

"If you didn't love her, you wouldn't feel this bad." The red head's voice softened and some of the venom drained from it," Hey…welcome to the human race…whoever the hell you are." She looked down on him for a few moments more before stomping off and going back to her room.

Drew instantly fled from the sun, crawling under a table that's been pushed up again the wall. He curled in on himself as he cried once again for Sherry. His mind ran through the possibilities of why he had heard her voice in his head. He entertained the idea briefly that it was somehow related to a self-preservation instinct or possibly he was projecting what he thought Sherry would want unto himself.

It was the last thought that brought him up short though. He almost didn't want to dare to hope, but he couldn't help but consider the idea that somehow she was still with him. That somehow she was still watching him and reaching out to him. The thought filled him with a peculiar kind of feeling. It was a little something like hope, but not quite. It was a warm feeling though that filled up his whole being, if his heart could beat he was sure it would have skipped a few by now. One thought though pushed all others aside and filled the whole of his mind, wherever she was she wanted him to live.

'_SHERRY!'_

He projected the single word with all the psychic energy and feeling he could put behind it, hoping against hope that it would reach her.

* * *

**Paradise:**

Lark hovered in the air, her wings making a soft swishing sound as they beat rhythmically. She held her charge tightly in her arms as she surveyed the Abyss. The yawning gap of darkest black before her seemed to go on forever, not even her eyes could gauge the size of it. The hole itself was a doorway, the only way off this plane without permission. Of course using it as such was strictly forbidden. It was also a physical representation of separation, a rift if you will between light and dark, good and evil, with the physical plane where humanity dwelled, sandwiched between.

The physical realm is a gateway as well as a separator. It separated the three different realms and acted as the doorway to all three in turn. There was Paradise for those deserving souls and the Pit was where the damned were annexed. Lastly there was Limbo for those special cases, such as people who for one reason or another were killed before their time or if a trial were needed to decide their fate.

She looked down at the girl in her arms, remembering that Sherry had needed to spend a few tortuous days there while her case was sorted out. The only reason Limbo was difficult for her was because she had no window to the outside world like she did here in Paradise. The girl had died before her time, so provisions had not been made for her. No one had counted on the wrath of the scorned female vampire who had ultimately been the tool of her premature demise. Lark shook her head ruefully as she thought, _'For the love of all that's good, no one had seen Drew coming either. His presence somehow managed to rewrite her whole destiny.'_

"So she tried again did she?" came an authoritative but questioning voice from behind.

Lark instantly whirled around startled, her wings making a sharp cracking sound as she did so. She briefly took in the sight of the tall hooded male angel before her. Even though she could not discern his features, there was no doubt that this was an Angel of the Warrior caste. The striking ebony wings sprouting from his back told her that.

"Yes, "Lark looked away," yes she did."

"What prompted her this time?"

"I don't know, I only just got here in time to stop her and she hasn't woken," Lark pulled her tighter against her form. She slowly descended to the ground, not bothering to see if he followed her or not. She touched down, the other angel landing softly not too far from her. Lark pulled her pure white wings around herself, effectively obscuring her charge from view.

"You have nothing to fear from me little one; I am not here to take her from you," the stranger pulled his hood back," this time anyway." Lark refused to relax her defensive stance. Even though she knew she'd have to give her up if that had been what he came for.

The angel before her was a fine specimen indeed; his lustrous black wings were spread wide as he regarded the two. His eyes were a piercing silver, his hair as dark as his wings with hooded cape tied at his throat. His skin was smooth and supple, lightly tanned with no visible scarring. His shoulders were strong and broad, muscles corded down his arms; he was probably a sword wielder. Instead of robes, he wore traditional armor. A dulled silver and gold breastplate adorned his upper body; dark brown leather gauntlets with gold threading circled his wrists. Wide, hardened leather strips flowed from the bottom of his breastplate, the tips brushing his knees. Lastly he wore dark brown leather boots that wound tightly up and just under the leather strips to leave no hint of open flesh giving a seamless look. His overall appearance was worn but strong with no overtones of finery like others in different castes.

He gave the female a measuring look," Has she spoken yet?"

Lark gave a derisive shake of her head, sending silver tendrils flying about her head," You know she hasn't and you know she can't so why bother asking?" She questioned with venom in her voice.

He ignored her question," Just as I didn't come for the girl I also didn't come to listen too so sharp a tongue."

"Then why are you here?" she responded immediately.

"I bare a message. The Council of Seven wishes an audience with you and the child." He inclined his head toward the sleeping bundle in her arms. Lark only nodded in response hoping the formidable looking warrior would leave before her charge woke, or else she would get quite a fright. As if he could read her mind he then added, "I will not be leaving anytime soon, I have been ordered to escort you to the Council's chambers." That would explain why the council had sent a Warrior instead of a member of the Messenger caste.

Sighing, Lark again nodded, "Fine if that's the way it is to be then lets at least go somewhere more comfortable." Again not waiting for a reply on his part, she took to the air heading back towards the heart of Paradise and away from the Abyss and its desolate surroundings. She could hear the flap, flap of his wings as he took to the air behind her, easily pulling up alongside. They flew on, side by side in comfortable silence while the landscape beneath rapidly gave way from decrepit death to lush and full of life, even the air smelt better.

Her eyes briefly scanned the ground till she found what she was looking for. Dipping to the side gracefully she flew towards the ground, her wings giving a couple gentle flaps to slow her down as she landed. Her "companion" landed as well and she could feel his eyes boring into her, for some reason it made her…uncomfortable. Ignoring the odd feeling she walked over to a nearby tree and sat against it, arranging the sleeping Sherry in her lap. The tension from earlier between these two angels had long since dissipated over the course of the flight.

"So what's your name?" When he looked up he found blatant curiosity in her eyes. "I don't remember ever seeing you before."

"Hakem, my name is Hakem. Now I have a question for you." She looked at him, encouraging him with her eyes to continue. "What's her story?" He gestured briefly to Sherry, "I've been away for a couple of years," he said as if absence explained his ignorance.

Wetting her lips," Fair enough, for starters," she spreads her pure white wings wide on either side as they indicated which caste she hailed from," as I'm sure you've already guessed I'm a Caretaker angel, a Teacher, my name is Lark and Sherry here is one of my wards." She lovingly ran her fingers through the human's hair," So what have you already been made aware of concerning her?"

"That she can't speak and she has…..self-destructive tendencies," Hakem responded as delicately as he could. "But I must admit, I'm most intrigued to know why she can't speak."

"Ahhh, that's a sad thing indeed." She nodded her head solemnly," The girl can't speak because her soul isn't whole." When Hakem only gave her a puzzled look she continued speaking, falling easily into her role as teacher, "Have you ever heard of soul mates?"

He nodded, "Yes but I thought humans didn't have them," She smiled at this, he was defiantly out of his depth, things like this weren't normally important to the Warrior angels so it wasn't surprising that he was so ignorant.

"Trust me, humans have soul mates. The problem is that they're so short lived it's rare for them to actually find them. Now normally fully bonded mates would simply die together, pretty cut and dry that way. However in Sherry's case the bonding wasn't complete, it had only just started to take serious root in the couple." Lark stopped to take a breath, Hakem was watching her with rapt attention, "Again, in normal situations the weak bond would have simply dissolved when one or the other died. This however is not the case with Sherry because her bond was not with another human"

"If not a human, then what…" the warrior prompted

At this Lark sighed sadly," Her soul bond is with a vampire and once a vampire bonds to someone, not even death can break it. On top of that since the bond was so weak he did not follow her in death. So the root of the problem is that when she died part of her soul stayed with this vampire so she is no longer whole spiritually, which is why she has no voice." Lark shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what else to say.

"But if her soul remains incomplete won't she eventually just fade away?"

"Yes in most cases she would have faded by now and we wouldn't even be talking, but she's fighting, holding onto him and determined to not let him go despite anything it costs her to do so." The angel started to smooth out the other girls robes as she shifted in her sleep.

"That's impossible, the pain she's in must be immense." His voice was disbelieving.

"That's a testament to how strong her love is." Lark answered simply and quietly.

_Sherry slept on, unaware of the comings and goings around her. Her dreams were the same as always, fragmented and bleak. The images were varied, slipping jaggedly from one regret to the next; most were centered on her Drew. She saw the two of them arguing over and over again. Well actually it was more her yelling, running away and him standing there. Never had he once yelled back at her or reacted poorly even though she'd given him every reason in the world to. _

_She was remembering the time she'd fainted while he painted her. He'd looked at her with such concern in his eyes, trying to help her stand, asking if she was alright and calling her name out loud. Of course what had she given him in return? Venom and malice as she'd yelled at him not to touch her. As she'd told him she was through with him and yet he called after her even as she stumbled up the stairs. In her mind she screamed and cried at her dream self, begging her to go back to Drew, her Drew, and tell him that it was okay, that she wasn't angry, but as usual nothing changed._

_The scene rippled and changed, she was in her dorm room at Mansbridge this time doing some long overdue homework. Next thing she knew Drew was in the room with her and was confessing his secrets to her just like she'd wanted him to. Instead of embracing him, she'd scoffed at him and pushed him away. It tore at her soul unable to lie to herself anymore, looking into the hurt eyes of dream-Drew. She tried desperately to run to him as she watched him speed from the room as only a vampire could, but she was rooted to the spot._

_The scene changed for the third time and she knew what was coming, what always came. She watched as her dream-self faded, leaving her alone in the room. She purposely inflicted this nightmare on herself day after pointless day, punishing herself for all her regrets. She was able to move freely but this freedom would only bring pain, pain she felt she rightly deserved for hurting Drew so much. Stepping forward, the scene replayed itself out just as it had done every day for weeks. _

_Just as Sherry was reaching for her desk so she could lay her book back down, a white hot searing pain erupted in her abdomen. Clutching her stomach from the agonizing pain, her face contorting with it as she screamed out and fell to the ground. The pain from her burst appendix throbbed out, beating it through the whole of her form. She curled into a ball, tasting bile in her mouth as her eyes squeezed shut against it all as she felt the poison moving through her body. She sobbed out for her Drew even though she knew she didn't deserve his obvious devotion._

_Then all of a sudden something new happened, a thought that wasn't hers ripped through her sleeping mind blotting out all the pain, bringing only peace._

'_SHERRY!'_

It was Drew's voice cutting across her psyche, banishing the torment and pulling her from the deep sleep. She sat straight up in Lark's arms with eyes impossibly wide, her mouth wordlessly forming her beloved's name. Sherry wished more than anything that she could speak. As it was, she struggled against her caretakers grasp.

Startled, Lark instantly wrapped her arms tighter around Sherry. When that wasn't enough to calm the struggling girl she folded her wings tightly around her, cocooning her in softness. She reached out with her mind to the hysterical girl.

'_What is it? Tell me please Sherry, what's happened_?' She made her mental voice as soothing as she could as she physically rocked the girl gently.

'_I heard him, I heard him!' This _was all she could manage to mentally offer back.

'_Heard who?'_ Though she was sure she already knew.

Suddenly Sherry stopped struggling and shook gently in the angel's arms as if she were truly crying when she mentally uttered only one word. She looked up at Lark, hazel eyes wide, brimming with a deep sadness and kind of hope. Lark almost had to look away; the emotion there was so overwhelming.

'_Drew__'_

* * *

**Please read and review, feedback be it postive or negative is vital to me **Bows to her readers****


End file.
